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Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Quick and Easy Grilled "Cheese"

Cheese. Melty, gooey, stringy cheese.

Ok, it's not really cheese. But I swear, it tastes and acts so much like it you won't be able to tell much of a difference.

My second attempt at gluten-free bread in my new breadmaker was a loaf of challah bread that I first posted about two years ago. It came out beautifully - soft, chewy, and sliceable. I'll be posting more about that one later.

But did I mention it's sliceable? As in, it doesn't fall apart when you try to eat it. Something we take for granted with regular bread. And that opens you up to a whole array of new recipes.

Like grilled cheese. This is so simple, and so quick to make, and you can modify it any way you want and it will still be great. (See below for some extra-good modifications). The combination of the Daiya cheese with a bit of mayo makes the filling extra creamy and melty. Serve by itself or with tomato soup. If you were like me as a kid, maybe you ate it with ketchup (I know, I know - it probably sounds disgusting to those who haven't tried it.....but I remember it being oh-so-good that way!).

So slice up some of your favorite bread - the best kind for this grilled cheese is a softer white bread - and get cooking. Get melting.

In a small bowl, mix the Veganaise and shredded Daiya Vegan Cheese together. If you want a garlic kick, add some garlic powder to taste; otherwise, omit. Spread the gluten-free margarine on one side of each slice of bread.

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Place the bread, margarine side down, in the skillet. Immediately spread the cheese/Veganaise mixture evenly onto both slices. Cook for 3 - 5 minutes, or until both pieces of bread are nicely browned and the cheese mixture has started to melt. Carefully take one of the pieces of bread and flip it onto the other so the sandwich is formed. Continue to cook over low heat until all the cheese is melted.

Serve immediately (with tomato soup or alone!).

Some especially delicious modifications include:

-Spread both slices of bread with your favorite dairy-free pesto before adding the cheese.

-Add fresh basil leaves to the cheese mixture.

-Arrange roasted red peppers onto the slices of bread while they are cooking.